The Canes’ Jordan Staal (11) battles the Penguins Sidney Crosby (87) during a faceoff at the PNC Arena in Raleigh. Staal is leading the Canes in faceoffs, winning 58.3 percent of his draws this season, and the Canes are leading the league. Chris Sewardcseward@newsobserver.com

The Canes’ Jordan Staal (11) battles the Penguins Sidney Crosby (87) during a faceoff at the PNC Arena in Raleigh. Staal is leading the Canes in faceoffs, winning 58.3 percent of his draws this season, and the Canes are leading the league. Chris Sewardcseward@newsobserver.com

Canes excel at the art of the faceoff

Jordan Staal beat Sidney Crosby on the opening faceoff Sunday as Staal and the Carolina Hurricanes faced the Pittsburgh Penguins.

For Staal, it was the first of 15 winning draws on 20 faceoffs as the Canes finished 40-22 in the circle against the Pens. Not that it mattered. The Pens won 5-0 at Consol Energy Center in an otherwise forgettable game for the Canes.

But in a season with various ups and downs, one constant for the Hurricanes has been their ability to win faceoffs, an important ingredient in a system based so much on puck possession. Before Tuesday’s games, Carolina led the NHL in faceoff percentage at 53.7, just ahead of the Arizona Coyotes (53.6).

Nor is it a one-year anomaly. The Canes were third in the NHL last season at 53 percent – the Boston Bruins were No. 1 at 53.6 – and fourth in 2013-14 at 52.6.

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Everyone has their own strategy and as a team we do a lot of different things on faceoffs.

Canes center Victor Rask

Brind’Amour, a Canes assistant coach, once ruled the circle as a player and annually was one of the NHL’s best. Brind’Amour, a former Canes captain, has a few tricks of the trade that he relates only to the players.

“More than anything he reminds us to bear down on every draw,” McClement said. “He reminds us that even if we were 75 percent the game before, it’s a clean slate and we have to do it every night. As group we’ve been pretty solid. The wingers also have been really good at helping out on the 50-50 pucks.”

The wingers also have been called on at times to take draws. Elias Lindholm is the right wing on Eric Staal’s line and has won 50.4 percent of his 254 faceoffs when called on.

Jordan Staal is winning 58.3 percent of his draws this season, third-best in the NHL. Eric Staal is at 56 percent (17th), McClement at 55.2 (22nd) and center Victor Rask 51.3 percent (47th).

“Everyone has their own strategy and as a team we do a lot of different things on faceoffs,” Rask said, without getting into specifics.

There has been a rules change on faceoffs in the NHL this season – dubbed the “Ron Francis Rule.” The Carolina general manager proposed last spring that the offensive player put his stick down second in the offensive zone with the intent of increasing puck possession time, producing more offense and hopefully more goal scoring in a league that can use it.

In the past, the visiting team’s player put his stick down on the ice first on draws, regardless of the zone. Under the new rule, which was approved by the NHL and NHL Players Association, the player taking a draw closest to his own net puts his stick down first. The visiting player, as in the past, goes down first for center- ice draws.

“I think it’s a great rule and there is an impact for sure,” Canes coach Bill Peters said Monday. “I think it’s a rule that’s going to stay and it’s going to help the league.”